The Price of Loyalty
by ItY'girl
Summary: Strength comes from love, wisdom comes from pain. This is what I came to know through my years as a shinobi. I saw the wrath of power, I saw the greed of evil, and how the most gentle souls among us get to pay the highest price. And along the way you come to see that your life is not your own, but connected to that of others through a web of strings that keep this world together.
1. Orphans

**AN: **Hello to all the readers of this story! Here is my newest project, called "The price of Loyalty". It is thought to be the first part of the 2 stories.

The current story follows my OC Yahizui and her life and adventures in Konoha. I have spent a lot of time writing an rewriting this story until I have deemed it acceptable, and the same might happen to future chapters, so I can not promise quick updates. Also the chapters will likely not be very long, but I see how I can work on that with future updates.

I hope you will find the story interesting enough to stick with it, and I will do my best to write something worth reading.

Naruto and all it's characters belong to Kishimoto, but any original character belongs to me. I am doing this solely for fun, so no profit is to come out of this written work.

Also, I apologize for any grammatical errors. I am not a native English speaker, and have no Beta-reader to check my work.

**-Orphans-**

"_The truth is you can be orphaned again and again and again. The truth is, you will be. And the secret is, this will hurt less and less each time until you can't feel a thing. Trust me on this."_

_Chuck Palahniuk_

Yahizui

By the time she reached the age of four Yahizui was an orphan, with no home to go to, no food, no water, and in the middle of the unmerciful desert of the Land of Wind. That is how a gentle soul found her, and took her to their home in a land of green trees and bountiful water.

If one were to ask Yahizui, she would admit that there is little she remembered about her life before that fateful day. But the things that she could recall are and will be imprinted in her mind forever. It is these kind of memories that seem to leave you and yet stay with you forever. The things a person acquires in their formative years, the soft veil of protection granted by parents, the warm orange of the lamp always flickering by the bedside.

She could clearly remember the flaming red hair of her father and the way he smiled whenever he looked at her; "My little princes", he would say. She would remember the gentle touch of her mother every night before she went to sleep, as she petted Yahizui's hair until the Sandman would cradle her in its dream-like arms. They were soft memories, and sometimes even years after, she would remember them and look into the never ending horizon with a bitter sweet smile.

But there were other things that stayed with her from the peaceful days before it all changed. Useful things taught by those older and wiser than her. She picked up quick for her age, and so Yahizui knew that her people were not warriors, they were not shinobi like the ones not so far from us in the village called Suna. No, her people were desert people.

They lived in small houses made of stone, houses which had been handed out through the generations from parents to children, from old to young. They had respect for the might of the sands, knew its storms, and its places of bountifulness. They traveled the deep desert far and wide, in search for food and other water sources, but always returned home. They cherished the water, for water is the source of life, and from water all begins. Even after years have passed, if asked Yahizui would still remember the way her mother collected the dew every morning and used it to keep alive the few plants that they had, with reverence that is usually kept for the gods in the heavens. But the desert people had no gods, for the desert was their god. He was the maker and the destroyer of things, their home and their grave.

There were other things that young Yahizui would remember, like how she saw her father once throw strange shaped daggers at a piece of wood, far away from the inquisitive eyes of the others. She asked him what was that, and he told her of a time long past for him, in his youth days before he had laid eyes on her mother. He told her stories of brave men fighting for their villages, of all the incredible things they could do and of how they could create fire out of thin air, make water appear in torrents, move mountains, or start wind storms with just a few movements of their fingers. He told her that he was once one of those warriors, that he to could to great things, but that the love he carried for her mother was far greater than any glory that battle could bring him and that he had left that life far behind him.

And so the little girl looked upon him like a hero of legend, like her dad was the mightiest of them all, like he was invincible.

The dreams were shattered when that fateful day came. The day the desert railed against them.

He came with wind, and sand, and destruction in its path, laying judgment on the mortals with no mercy, leaving rivers of blood in its wake. There was not much she could recall of that dreadful day, her young mind choosing to shield her from the pain by burying the memories deep down. But even so, the screams, the limp body of her mother, and the greatness of the cruel desert god. Was forever painted in a gory picture inside her head.

The attacker's massive form was beyond any imagination, its tail causing storms with every movement, destroying everything in it's path. But most of all, she remembers, the vicious yellow of its eyes as he squashed everything with its might. The terror that she had felt that day was more than she would ever experience since. Being helpless, like a simple bug about to be squashed, no way to run, no way to hide. That was how the poor people of the village, young Yahizui included felt in that fateful day. Simple bugs in the way of a giant foot. Only mortals facing the wrath of a god.

But through it all, one man kept his cool and saw the situation for what it was. A battle, not unlike any other he had seen in his life of service. Admittedly, this was the greatest, fiercest enemy he had ever faced, but old habits and instincts that had been laying dormant yet never forgotten began to spring back to life.

So it was with no little amount of surprise that Yahizui found herself protected by her father, his crimson hair blazing as he threw projectiles at the beast. But even though she thought her dad was an invincible hero, even Yahizui saw that he did not stand a chance. There is something primordial rising in the mind of humans when faced with cataclysms they can not beat, run from or overcome. It is not fear, because fear pushes you to act. No. You know that there is no point in fearing for your life anymore, for it is gone anyway. So all you can do is sit there in terror, waiting for it to be over.

But before Yahizui could give into the terror she saw her father turn towards her with a desperate look in his eyes, and shove a scroll in her small hands.

"You need to be strong my Princess. For me and for Mama. Ok? Be strong and don't forget us."

There was a sob coming from the girl. She did not understand why this sounded like a good bye. She did not want to leave. She wanted to stay with them, to be with them. "Papa no, please no! Papa please!"

But the crimson haired man had already steeled his resolve, and with one last kiss to his daughter's forehead he made the necessary hand signs and watched as she disappeared away from the catastrophe. Good, the man thought. He then looked at the fallen, mangled body of his wife and gave a small smile. "I'll be right with you my love. Wait for me." And he charged at the beast with a battle roar, a single sharp kunai in his hand.

By the time Yahizui fought the dizziness caused by the sudden transportation, she found that she had no idea where she was. Even if her people knew the better part of the village, she was still young and had never been allowed to go farther than the village limits. For all intense and purpose she was thoroughly lost.

Two days passed until the heavens smiled at the young girl and put a person in her way. And for the better part of the time Yahizui kept replaying in her head the catastrophe that had befallen her family and her village. And every time she did so she felt like letting go, going to meet her parents in Heaven and forget all the pain. And yet every time, without fail the words of her beloved father came back to her. "Bo strong," he said, "Be strong for me and Mama." And so ever time she pulled from the claws of despair and fought for her life, using all survival skills she had learned to stay alive.

However soon the pain and sorrow inside the little girl's heart reached it's peak and could no longer be contained by her father's firm words. They would understand, she thought. They will understand, and they will forgive me and we will be together again, thought the little girl as her desire to go on faded by the hour. Soon she stopped looking for water, stopped making makeshift covers from the unmerciful sun, and as night came, stopped trying to get warm. She just stopped.

Riruka

Down a single, windy road crossing the desert and connecting the shinobi village of Sunagakure and Konohagakure, a carriage could be seen. It was a simple, medium sized merchant carriage pulled by a sturdy desert horse. He went at a steady space, and usually the carriage made about 3 days from its home in Konoha to the market of Suna. One might wonder who was driving the said carriage, and what was their trade?

As if on cue, from between the folds of textile that kept the merchandise away from the merciless sun, stepped out a middle aged, slightly plump woman. She had a kind face, and an ever present motherly smile that seems to come with age. There was nothing overly special about her looks. She had normal brown eyes, and if one would look beneath her current desert hat, and between her graying locks, she had normal brown hair. So you might ask now, what is so special about this woman? Well nothing much really. But what Riruka had, was a gentle, kind soul.

Since her young days she decided she wanted to help people in need, but having no ninja abilities, she could not train as a medic in her village. However she took the next best thing, and now Riruka was one of the main suppliers of herbal medicine in Konoha, and one of the first exporters to Suna. Having such arid conditions, the people of Sunagakure lacked some of the plants that grew in abundance in the green meadows of Konoha.

So now, being a respected merchant in the desert city, Riruka made the trip often in order to give the citizens of Suna the best medicine that Konoha had to offer. As a plus, it was these kind of small merchant alliances that kept the rather fragile peace between the two nations going.

As she contemplated all these things and looking at the desert ahead, Riruka thought she is happy as son as she reaches more moist environments. Being raised in a village with green trees and an abundance of water, she had to admit that the lack of everything in Suna did not make her feel comfortable. After all, she also had her health to think of. She definitely wasn't getting any younger.

But suddenly something interrupted her musings. There was something in the desert, something that looked out of place. It was hard for her to see, partly due to age and partly due to the desert hear that made everything look a bit blurry. However, Riruka was a curious person by nature, and seeing something out of place in this desolate desert was odd. So she got out of the carriage and with cautious steps approached the odd thing that disturbed the emptiness of the desert. With each step she took Riruka got a knot in her stomach that was getting bigger and bigger.

"Oh dear God!" She quickly realized that it was not a thing in the middle of the desert, but a person. As her eyes widened in shock, Riruka started running towards the figure.

There, laying in the hot sand with the merciless sun above lay a small figure with a crimson tuft of hair. She quickly reached the figure and took it in her arms. It was a little girl, a child no older than 4 or 5, and she looked like she had been through hell and back. Her clothes were torn, and her skin was obviously burned from the sun. She was warm to the touch, much to warm. But even though the child had a fever, Riruka was relieved. Fever was better than death cold. With a frenzied hurry she brought the girl to her carriage, carefully setting her on a makeshift bed. Now that she was out of the sun, the woman gently poured water in her mouth, hoping to trigger her swallowing instinct. Her attempts were successful, but other than that there was no movement or sound from the child. So with renewed determination, the woman urged her horse at twice it's pace to make haste towards home, towards Konoha.

Yahizui

She was looking at it, looking into the eyes of the monster that took away her parents and village. And in it's yellow vicious eyes she could see his mockery of her.

"You are pitiful!", he bellowed, laughing at her with scorn.

"You did nothing, you useless little vermin! They died, and yet you live!"

He was suddenly angry, lowering his massive head toward her and pouring venom into her veins from the golden pool of its vicious eyes. "You don't deserve to live!", snapped its massive jaws.

_This was it_, she thought, as the monster that took away all that was dear and precious to her snapped away toward her. She could swear she could see the pits of hell deep inside its belly as the jaws opened to snap her in half. _I'm coming to you mommy, daddy. Wait for me. _

But the pain never came, the death stayed at bay, and Yahizui's reunion with her parents was long from taking place. When she opened her eyes she was not in the netherworld, but in a rather comfortable bed in a room that seemed saturated with moisture. For the little girl's senses the air was uncomfortable in it's lack of dryness. It was suffocating. She looked in around, desperate to find something familiar to cling to, anything that could tell her where she is. But there was nothing she could identify in the simple room. As she looked beyong the half opened door however, Yahizui's eyes widened in shock. There were plants everywhere. On shelves, on the floor, on tables, the whole house seemed filled with much more green than she had ever seen in her short life. She was definitely not in the desert anymore, and that thought scared her beyond belief.

Since the day she came into this world, Yahizui had breathed desert air, drank the little water found in the desert, ate desert food, played with desert animals. Now the water in the air told her that the desert was far away, away from her reach.

However she did not have much time to explore her new found panic, because someone was heading toward the room, toward her. Instinct taking over, her little body tensed, not moving a muscle, just like the older children of the village did when trying to catch scorpions in the sand. "They sense fear", they would say. So Yahizui set told herself that whomever this person was, there will be no fear shown from her.

As the person came into her line of sight she could see that it was a woman, probably the same age as the village grandmother, Tagura. Yahizui eyed the woman with suspicion, something which was characteristic for people in the desert. They did not like outsiders, and never jumped in to trust someone. As she looked at the stranger, she first noticed that she was entirely too colorful for it to be respectful. Starting from the warm pink of her skirt, to the yellow of her blouse and her bright blue eyes, the woman radiated color. And as soon as her eyes landed on her now awake form, the woman's faces melted into relief, a beaming smile spreading her lips.

"Oh dear child," the woman began in a warm voice, "I thought that you would be lost, given the condition in which I found you. But thank the gods, you are alive and good! You pulled quite a little miracle there! I've never seen anyone come back from death's doorstep quite the way you have." She was overly dramatic and expressive beyond belief, this slightly plump woman that looked at her with worried eyes. As Yahizui thought about it, she realized that this woman was nothing like gran' Tagura. But she also had to admit that she seemed kind, and that pacified her for the moment.

"Thank you," she said, her voice cracked from not using it. She was grateful, even though deep in her mind she thought she did not deserve this woman's kindness.

The gratitude from her patient, the woman smiled. "You are welcome sweety. But for now rest, I will come back later with something yummy to eat. My name is Riruka, and if you need anything I will be right over there in the next room." Then she slowly got up and left, promising to keep an eye on her.

And even though she did not know this woman, Yahizui felt a bit better that she had been rescued by such a kind soul. If she let herself relax a bit more, she might just admit that she actually felt... safe.

As the morning rays hit her closed eyelids, Yahizui awoke feeling ten times better than the day before. The previous day, the woman taking care of her, Riruka-sama as she came to call her, gave her a warm meal and various slimy medicine that were meant to help her heal and recover her strength. Thinking of how today she felt like new, she had to admit that the woman's medicine was surely the best. Then again, all cures seemed to work on her with light speed.

However, the pain she felt inside could not be cured by medicine, and as the short lived amazement passed, the smoldering pain inside of her took over, remind dwell on the pain, as the door opened, and Riruka walked in with a tray full of breakfast.

Upon seeing Yahizui's defeated look and moist eyes, Riruka went in full forge motherly mode, hurrying toward the child. "Oh dear child, what happened to you?"

The words were all it took for the dam of her feelings to break. The deep desert teachings which forbid one from shedding tears out of any reason was forgotten in an instant. Here there was no desert. Here water did not hold the sacred importance it did in her home. Here she could cry freely. And so sobs raked her little body, wishing that up there in heaven, her parents and fellow villagers will forgive the insult of shedding water for them.

And so her body and soul wept. She wept for the atrocity that had befallen her people, for the children of the village, for her gentle mother and her brave father. She wept for the life that was stolen from her, for her quickly crumbling childhood, and for the injustice of it all. While she wept, Riruka held her in an embrace that only a mother can give, and whispered little nothings to me to soothe her broken soul. And soon she found herself leaning in that embrace, and clinging to the words that this woman was whispering, wanting to believe that the hurt will pass and that all will be all right.


	2. Encounters

**AN: **Hello again!

First of all I would like to thank all the people that are following the story right now! I hope you like it, and I hope you will like it in the future.

Secondly, I would appreciate your opinions on what is going on so far. Do you like the style, do you think it's bad, anything. :)

So here's a rather big chapter (compared to the other one). This one is about encounters, and how they affect our lives. I will try to name each chapter by what it represents, so you guys would know more or less what it is about as soon as you see the name :D

Of course, this is a non-profit work. All Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto.

In advance I apologize for any grammatical errors that you might find in the story

* * *

**-Encounters-**

"Each meeting occurs at the precise moment for which it was meant. Usually, when it will have the greatest impact on our lives."

Nadia Scrieva, _Fathoms of Forgiveness_

* * *

Yahizui

It had been already a month since Yahizui was rescued by Riruka and taken to her home, a village called Konoha. She did not have much knowledge of the place besides its name and the few things she picked up from her now caretaker. Yahizui did not care. It was already clear that the little girl will never fully recover from the death of her parents, and that so far she did not even want to. Her routine consisted in waking up, looking at the ceiling, eat, cry. She would never again be the vibrant little girl that would smile all the time and have a little too much energy for her mother's good. A veil had descended upon her, and the figure laying in the empty room nowadays was nothing more than a ghost of the former Yahizui. Not that she noticed, she rarely noticed anything anymore. In fact the only time Riruka had gotten a reaction from her in the past month was when the woman decided once and for all that the girl's tattered clothes were in dire need of replacing.

"Sweetheart, I bought you some new clothes!" she said in her kind, motherly tone. "I'm sure you'll like them, and you can be out of these old rags once and for all. Come, try them on!"

"No." was the short, hollow remark. That was all she could get out of the girl lately, monosyllabic remarks in a voice that could make anyone shiver.

"Why not? Come, just look at them. Surely you can see that the ones you have are not suited for this weather. Just give it a try..."

It was the pleading look in the woman's eyes that moved Yahizui. It reminded her of the look her father used to make when he wanted something dearly from her beloved mother. So she stood up, breaking her solitude, and went to take a look at the clothes. Truth be told, they were not that bad. A simple forest green shirt and a pair of sandy shorts, topped with the standard sandals most of the people were wearing. But for little Yahizui it was heartbreaking to part with her clothes, the only thing that still tied her to her former life, to her family. It was hard as the past child within her wanted to not let go. But the atrocities which have befallen her had crashed her childlike dreams, shattered the stained glass that was over her eyes and seemed to have awoken the cynical, analytic side of her brain. So even though she could not explain it yet, Yahizui knew that her parents wanted her to move on, not wither away in this wet land. So with a shaking hand, she grabbed the shirt and pants and looked at Riruka. "Not the shoes."

Riruka

The determined look in the little girl's eyes told Riruka all she needed to know. She was not going to argue with a look like that. After all, there had been a time when she had had a child of her own, and she was all to familiar with looks such as this. What worried her however was that it was much to early for one to have such determination, such steel inside them.

"Ok dear, you can keep the shoes. But if you do, you will have to let me clean them. They are in dire need of a good scrub!" at those words she saw her cheeks flush adorably in embarrassment, and knew for sure that the little girl would come around. She just needed time.

For now, the girl had enough changes and needed to take it slow. And if she were to be honest with herself, Riruka needed some adjusting time as well. Saving someone was one thing, but taking custody of a child was a totally different situation. As the middle aged woman prepared today's batch of medicine she thought of the current situation.

Of course she was not going to leave the girl to fend for herself, especially if one were to take into account not only her age, but also the traumatizing situation that had befallen her. No, for Riruka leaving a child alone was out of the question. So as she unlocked her small shop and arranged all the ingredients on the shelves, issues such as registering the child and taking custody approval stormed her mind. She was thus unaware of the recent customer entering her shop. Not that she would have seen him anyway, as his head did not even reach the top of the counter. Thus the kind, at the moment thoughtful woman was startled at the sound of the little boys voice.

"Good morning Hanada-san." said a very young, very polite voice.

The mentioned Hanada Riruka responded with a startled "Oh!" It took her a few seconds to find the owner of the voice, and only when she looked down over the counter did she recognize his neat dark hair and almost girlish large eyes. "Oh hello sweety! What brings you here today so early?"

Polite as ever, the addressed boy responded with a slight bow. "Mother sent me to get fever medicine. My young brother has fallen a little ill last night. I was told that you will know what to give me, Hanada-san."

Now in full shopkeeper mode, Riruka was with the required medicine in her hand in a matter of seconds. Actually, for a civilian the woman had quite an impressive speed when she wanted. "Ah, here you go! Tell Mikoto-san to give him two spoons of this and he will be up and about in no time!"

Faced with the good news, the 6 year old gave the necessary money, gave a polite bow and left the shop in the same dignified manner he entered.

As for the shopkeeper, she spared a few seconds to gush in her head at how cute he was before returning to her thought of her own little cute and unbelievably sad guest.

With that thought in mind, Riruka made it her personal mission to make Yahizui as curious as possible about Konoha so that she would forget her sadness and regain some of the typical childhood exuberance.

It wasn't hard for her to paint the village in the loveliest colors possible. She had grown up in Konoha, and her love for the hidden village reverberated with each story she told her little guest. She spoke of the market that buzzed with life and sound and color, of the wonderful cherry trees that bloomed every spring in the high clans district, of the Nanako river with it's refreshing waters in the summer and the beautiful red bridge that crossed it. And last but not least, Riruka spoke of the multitude of ninjas that roamed the city, aiding the civilians and protecting them from harm.

It really came as a surprise to Riruka that the girl had lasted her curiosity so long. It was almost one month later until Yahizui finally agreed to leave the house and see Konoha for herself. During this entire time, Yahizui had heard each and every day fantastic stories of the life and village right outside the walls of her room, stirring up her childlike curiosity.

Yahizui

After Riruka-sama had filled her hear with Konoha stories, the woman had finally managed to convince her that her parents still wanted a normal life for her, and that she should not wither away in the darkness of her room. It was still clear from the frown that was on her small face that she did not totally like the situation, but if one was to look with a little more attention, they would see that there was also anticipation shining in her dark green eyes. Luckily, Riruka knew where to look, so she kept on encouraging her to take that first step out of the house.

And when she did so, when the door of the house opened and her little feet stepped in the doorway, Yahizui was speechless. It was much more than Riruka-sama had ever said! Never in her short life had she seen so many plants, and buildings, and people! Everything was green, and red, and blue, and purple, and orange, and any other color that she did not even know the name of. It overwhelmed her, made her dizzy and kept her in awe. It was definitely a change from the different shades of brown Yahizui had been seeing for the better part of my life. It was splendid and frightening at the same time, so it took more than a gentle nudge from Riruka for the little girl to step outside the house.

There was sound coming from everywhere, people going everywhere and doing everything at once. The streets were filled with shops of all kind left and right. Fabrics, footwear, restaurants, bars, weapon shops, and so many more stores that Yahizui could not name. Buildings made of stone and wood surrounded them at every corner, some tall, some small. She could see people on the windows of small apartments looking down at them, looking at the crowd.

To Yahizui everything went on in such a chaotic manner that it frightened her, and thus the little girl instinctively searched for Riruka's warm hand.

"These people are strange," she said in a hushed tone. "They are careless and carefree, they make so much noise not thinking of the consequences, and they waste water like it's a commodity." She sounded bitter, like she resented them and the sacrilege they made with something so precious, so pure.

"Little one,", began Riruka, her voice patient "here water is a commodity, and in this town people are safe, nothing can hurt us as long as we are protected by our faithful shinobi. _It's dangerous business what those shinobi d_o, but they are faithful to their village, and keep us civilians out of harm. Also, with the right money you can even hire the lower ranked ones to do chores for you!" A smile appeared on her face at the last sentence. "I told you before, Konoha is nothing like you know of the world".

Just as before, Yahizui's curiosity arose at the mention of shinobi. From the first time Riruka had begun telling her tales of the brave men and women protecting the village, Yahizui had recognized that they were the same kind of people from her father's stories. Shinobi was the name given to those men of legend that her dad spoke of, and after Riruka told her what she knew of this "dangerous profession" as she put it, Yahizui wanted to know more.

"Riruka-sama," I said in my best polite voice. "I would like to see these shinobi. The stories you tell are wonderful, and I want to know more about them!"

"Hmm..." Riruka could not deny that the request was rather sudden, but she had never seen little Yahizui look so animated before. So without giving it any second thought, she decided to take her to the one place you can find shinobi gathered together. Well, maybe full fledged shinobi was a little far-fetched, but this would do nonetheless. "Ok! I know just where to go."

Itachi

As the bell signaling the end of the break rang, somewhere on a solitary bench a lone boy could be seen. He was methodically packing his lunch box away, placing it back into it's designated navy blue bag. He liked to be methodical, and he liked to be alone. He usually found children his age too loud, too clueless, and making too many unnecessary movements. But he did not hold any resentment for them because of that. He knew it was not their fault for being loud, or clumsy, or overly trustful. No, they were how children his age should be. So he chose to sit in silence, since silence suited him best.

With the lunch box now packed, the boy stood, brushed some nonexistent crumbs from his navy blue shirt, and proceeded with measured steps toward his designated class. As usual he was curious as to why all other children were running, hurrying to get to class. It was absolutely futile, as there were approximately 3 minutes from when the bell rang to the time the teacher would enter class. Also, it took exactly 2 and a half minutes to go from any corner of the lunch ground to the entry of the building, if one were to walk casually. That left another half a minute to reach the classroom, which was plenty of time. So why was everyone running?

He did not run. He walked at a casual pace, not to slow, not to fast, and traveled the exactly 50 meters in a little over a minute and a half. That left him time to wash his hands in the lavatory before reaching his desk at the exact time the teacher opened the door and stepped inside. It was a perfect timing as usual, as Uchiha Itachi did not like to waste time.

"Okay class, today we have a practical lesson in which we will learn the basic use of chakra, the hand-signs, and if you are up for it try a few simple jutsu." said the middle aged chuunin instructor. He was an average shinobi with a love for teaching and a rather numerous family, so he enjoyed the leisure program which came with a job at the academy. "So come on, get in line and meet me in academy training ground 2!"

Some of the children groaned at the extra work, and some were excited, but Itachi just stood calmly and walked to training ground 2. He did not miss the looks he got from his classmates. They knew who he was, and how he was. Some sneered as he passed, some were awed by him, and some were afraid. He did not like that the most. But most of all Uchiha Itachi was avoided. So for a second there, he wished he had a friend his age to talk to. The thought flew in the next second as he looked once more around and found no one that he would like to call a friend.

As they reached the training ground, Itachi watched as his classmates all tried to find a place as close to the instructor as possible. As if they would better understand his words the closer they got. On the other hand, he had a distant look in his eyes as the teacher explained the hand signs and the use of chakra in jutsus. There were various oh's and ah's going all around him as the rest seemed to get it more or less.

For Itachi there was no need to listen. He already knew all the hand-signs by heart, and portioning the necessary amount of chakra to perform a jutsu had been drilled into his head since the moment he knew how to walk. His parents had made sure that he knew the basis of chakra manipulation, and as many jutsu as he could learn. Of course, all this was by far ahead of his age, and it contributed to Itachi's more of less self imposed solitude. So that left the young boy to look at his peers and let the instructor's words wash over him. He knew that the instructor will leave him be unless he wanted to demonstrate something.

Yahizui

With Yahizui's mood rising with each step, it did not take long for her and Riruka to reach the designated place. She did not know what this place was, but being a curious child at heart, she turned toward her caretaker to find out. "What is that big building there Rirura-sama?"

"That over there is the Ninja Academy. It's a place where talented young children go and learn to become shinobi. Here they train and get taught do to all kind of techniques and amazing things." It was wonderful and at the same time hilarious for Riruka to see the girl's green eyes widen in surprise at her words. What had she thought before, that shinobi just became skilled in one go? Then again... maybe she did.

Upon hearing such incredible news, Yahizui's interest in this so called Ninja Academy rose exponentially. She had to see it for herself!

Unfortunately, when the two reached the entry gates they found the academy grounds strictly forbidden to anyone not enrolled. Apparently even children shinobi were dangerous, and civilians such as themselves could be hurt by accident. It was unlucky, but who was to say that Yahizui ever considered herself lucky? It seemed that the girl was very tenacious, which does not really come as a surprise, since every desert child has tenacity in their blood and engraved upon their hearts. Otherwise it might prove to be impossible to live in the harsh environment. The desert has no room for quitters.

So Yahizui's eyes quickly found a tree overlooking a sice of the surrounding wall, and headed toward it. Looking at the tall wooden plant she imagined it was no different than the huts in her village. She had scaled those many times, so she should scale this one just fine. With the aid of a few branches, her red hair was soon visible at the top of the tree, with forest green eyes curiously looking in the inner yard.

She was not sure what she expected. Maybe something akin to the fierce warriors in her father's stories. Or at least something that looked equally impressive. Instead she was watching a bunch of scrawny looking kids a little older than herself. She was not impressed. All they did was make some funny movements with their hands with no after effect. Even the single adult in the area was nothing to brag about. He was short and fat, and at the moment he seemed exasperated with the children around him. Weren't they supposed to learn how to fight? How to make amazing moves and flashy techniques? This was a far cry from what her father, and even Riruka told her.

Disappointed with the display before her eyes, Yahizui began climbing down, deciding that there was nothing special about these shinobi. But just then, just as she finished the thought she saw something with the corner of her eye. Suddenly she turned around, and saw the most incredible thing! One of the children was spitting flames! She could not believe her eyes, but the little boy was actually spitting fire, and the teacher seemed to nod in satisfaction while noting something down. So it was true, they could do such things!

"Wow..." was the awed sound that left her lips. She knew now that she wanted to learn how to do such an amazing thing. Maybe even become brave and strong like the warriors from her father's stories. And then maybe she will be able to protect those she held dear.

Riruka

Riruka watched from below as the little girl she now had in her care looked inside the courtyard with awe. It pleased her to see such a wonderful expression on her face. In fact the woman could not believe that this was the same little girl she found two months ago.

When Yahizui first woke up, Riruka could only see despair in her big, forest green eyes. Then the despair made room for emptiness, and it seemed that the little girl had lost her soul. She never thought she would recover. But it seemed that she was stronger than she let on, and that with the passage of time Yahizui will heal. And Riruka wanted nothing more than to see this elated expression on her face every day. It was something magic how her features lit up, like the sun after a rainy day. Maybe, thought the woman, with little moments of happiness like these she will see that life is just that, a series of moments, and that we should cherish the happy ones at all cost.

As she watched Yahizui get down from the tree Riruka thought that she knew so little of her. It seemed that she was a bit secretive by nature, as it took her two weeks to finally tell Riruka her name. Apparently one did not give his name so easily in the desert. In any case, the girl had a kind soul, one which Riruka prayed had not been darkened by the tragedy which had befallen her.

"Riruka-sama," said Yahizui in a polite voice. She was now safely back on solid ground with a determined look on the young face.

"Yes, what's wrong? Did you not like the future shinobi?" The woman was trying to pry an answer, knowing fully that she did like them and that she was amazed.

"Oh! No, I did! I liked them a lot!" the previous serious look on her face was forgotten as excitement at seeing the shinobi reappeared. "In fact I want to be just like them!"

That was not what Riruka had in mind when she brought Yahizui to the academy. She wanted to brighten her mood, not make her want to learn how to kill people! "W-what?"

Seemingly ignoring Riruka's comment, Yahizui continued to regard her with a serious gaze. "But first I must show my gratitude to you. You took good care of me Riruka-sama, and I don't want to be a burden."

The woman was stunned. This little girl that had found it so hard to move past her pain at first was now not only being happy, but already jumping in the daily life of Konoha. Plus, she wanted to be a ninja? Not knowing what to do, the woman nodded in a daze. She was glad that she wanted to help her, but what worried her was the determination in her eyes.

Yahizui

After a few days of running errands for Riruka and delivering medicine to different houses, Yahizui became familiar with Konoha. It's winding streets and tall buildings no longer scared her now that she knew the way through them. And when she had free time, the red haired little girl would wander around the city, hoping to see more of the elusive elite that protected it. She was not disappointed, and every day she caught glimpses of blurred figures jumping over rooftops, or young children and teenagers doing mundane jobs or helping out the citizens.

And with every passing day, Yahizui grew bolder in her explorations of Konoha, until one day she reached a rather deserted and wooded area of the hidden village. It was there where she had her first close encounter with a ninja. He was nothing spectacular per say. As a matter of fact, he was the kind of person you might overlook at first. A little taller than herself, the boy had black hair, dark eyes and an attire consisting of shades of gray and dark blue. Really nothing special. Actually, the only thing that stood out regarding the boy's appearance was the red and white fan symbol on the back of his shirt.

If Yahizui was just another passing civilian child, she would have not even spared the boy a second glance. But as it was, growing up in the desert taught you to see things that tend to slip unnoticed. Not doing so would lead to horrible things like snake bites, or even death by scorpion venom. Harsh living situations teach you many things, and the little red haired girl was an avid learner. So she took a moment of her otherwise uneventful life to give the boy a second glance. It suffices to say that she was not disappointed by her decision. Upon closer inspection the boy was anything but a regular, boring boy, no matter what his appearance indicated. He was not exuberant, or doing silly things like other boys their age she knew. No, he was calm, focused, disciplined. As he jumped in the air, Yahizui saw him throw metal stars at different targets, his aim dead center each and every time. And as she saw the determined look in his eyes, recognition came upon her. He was the boy from the ninja academy!

Her amazement increased tenfold upon recognizing him, and Yahizui watched with rapt attention his every move. He moved graciously and soundlessly, like a cat on the hunt. There were no unnecessary motions, no over-straining of muscle as he put just the right amount of power and direction in his movements to achieve his goal. It was then that somewhere in her subconscious Yahizui decided that she wanted to be like that. No, she had to become like that! To become strong so that she would never have to endure what she had endured that day, to become powerful.

It was with that thought in mind that Yahizui came to watch the boy train again, and again and then tried to mimic his actions at home. It is sufficient to say that many of Riruka's knifes were blunted as a result of her attempts at target practice. But the scoldings of her guardian were not about to divert Yahizui from her goal. She had always been stubborn, her mother had once said, and once Yahizui got something in her head, it was hard to get it out. So she went on with her ambition, using the meager stealth skills she had acquired while playing in the desert surrounded by mean predators to sneak closer and closer to the training boy. There were more things she needed to see, as for some reason her technique was not as good as his. Surely there was something he was doing that she did not see!

In fact it was today, in a cloudless warm day that Yahizui went so close she could almost see his muscles tense as he prepared to throw. With each passing day, as she became more confident in her skills of slipping undetected, Yahizui grew bolder, going closer, paying less attention to her surroundings. However, even if she was too blinded by her goal to pay close attention to what was going around her, someone else was. So it was only Yahizui that was startled by the throwing knife now embedded in the tree only a few centimeters away from her head. The owner of said knife was calm, looking at her with a blank face.

"Wha-..." it took a moment for her young brain to process the events that just occurred, speech being long forgotten in favor of fear. But once she realized that there was no intent of harming her coming from the boy, another ugly trait of the little red haired girl reared its head. Her mother had always said she was too hot headed, just like her father. "What do you think you're doing? You could have killed me!"

Contrary to the girl that now had a face as red as her hair, the dark haired boy looked calm, composed. In fact he looked like nothing had happened, and if something did, it was not a big deal. Certainly not something to start screaming over. But he dismissed that as typical female behavior. He had seen it happen in the academy many times before. To him girls just got overexcited because of every little thing. So the young dark haired boy decided to answer in the patient polite way that was usual of him. "You need not worry, I did not aim to harm, only to get your attention."

Not in the least calmed by his words, or tone of speech, Yahizui kept her position firm. "Can't you shout at me like a normal person?"

Indeed, thought the boy. Girls like to exaggerate. "I could have. But you have been following me. Why? Who are you?"

His tone was not less polite, Yahizui noted, and more demanding. Now that her emotions had more or less subsided, she could come to understand his reasoning. After all she was the one who followed him. He at least deserved an explanation. "I saw you some days ago and I was curious. I tried to do it too, but it did not work so I came back to see more." There was no reason for her to be dishonest with him.

However the boy still seemed cautious. "You still did not tell me who you are. You could be a spy."

"A spy?" to Yahizui the word was almost foreign. In the simple, peaceful desert life she had lead until now they had no use for foul words such as spy, or betrayal. So how dare he call her that after what she had been through? "I am no such vile thing! Riruka rescued me from the desert and brought me here and took me in her care. I may not be from these parts, but I am no spy!"

Riruka...the boy knew that name. Searching quickly through his memory he remembered that Riruka is the medicine merchant that exports to Suna. As a matter of fact, he went to buy medicine from her when his little brother had a fever. But that still did not answer his question. "Then who are you?", he continued, not at all phased by her outburst. "Why were you not taken back to Suna?"

Suna indeed. Yahizui knew from her dearly departed father that Suna was the city in the desert. There were ninja there too, just like in Konoha. Indeed it would have made more sense to take her there, but Yahizui was glad that she was not in Suna. Her people had despised Suna, for they tried to change the desert and the way of nature, force it to bend to their greedy will. But the desert is the desert, and it can never be changed. So when Yahizui answered "I am not of Suna, I have no place there.", dislike was evident in her voice.

"Aa." was the boy's only answer as he stood there for a few seconds, looking at nothing in particular. Somehow her feelings had reached him, and perceptive as he was of human nature, the boy saw that she was not lying and had no ulterior motive. She seemed interesting to him, this child with strange hair and hot emotions. As he looked at her he was reminded of days long past, when he was much younger and careless, when his mother was big with his little brother and all he had to do was cater to her whims and be in her warm embrace, which he did gladly. It was from that time that he remembered a woman with impossibly long red hair and a smile that could melt hearts. There was not much he knew, or remembered of her, just that she seemed to radiate a power that would soothe your soul. And so he did not know what made him say it, maybe loneliness, maybe just the child within him, but the boy turned his attention to her and spoke in a pleasant tone. "I am Itachi."

Yahizui froze. This was the first personal contact she had made with anyone beside Riruka. The customers she delivered medicine to did not care to put the relationship past the polite thank you, paying for the medicine and showing her the way out. This was bad. It took her quite some time to say her name to Riruka, and for good reason! Saying her name to a stranger was against everything that Yahizui learned in her short life. To her people your name was your identity, and one did not give away ones identity unless that person was trusted. Did she trust this boy? She had just met him. Looking at the boy Yazhizui realized that she had to say something, and fast. "I...It's nice to meet you Itachi-san." She could see that he was confused as to why she did not give her name, but then after a few moments he seemed to let it pass.

Itachi contemplated the girl for a moment before asking. "Why do you want to learn how to throw weapons?"

There was no hesitation in her voice this time. "I want to become a ninja."

Itachi looked at the girl before him. She was a little to young to enter academy, but there were many children that enrolled for the preparatory years. What would happen if he interacted with this girl? She seemed to hold no fear or contempt for him, like most of his peers. Making his decision, Itachi looked at the girl with half a smile. "These," he said as he held one of the daggers for her to see, "are called kunai. They are a basic ninja tool and can be used by throwing, or in hand to hand combat. Here, you can have this one."

They looked strange, basically forged as if made in a hurry, with white gauze wrapped around the handle for a better grip, sharp on one end, and ending with a hoop at the other. She took the kunai from his hand, and tested to see how it feels in her smaller one. It was heavy, but not so much. It was in any case, much different than a kitchen knife. Even so, it would be hard to throw it, much harder than aiming with a pebble at a stray lizard. She turned to the boy named Itachi with hope in her eyes. "Please teach me how to throw it, Itachi-san."

And he did. With a few explanations and a slowly performed demonstration, Yahizui managed to understand the basics of it. It was really not that hard, or at least that is how Itachi made it seem. Just balance the weight of the kunai in your hand, relax your grip, aim and flick. Simple as that. As she did just that, Itachi was pleasantly surprised to see that she did quite good for a civilian. Little did he know how many sand lizards Yahizui had hunted in her home village.

"You should join the academy." he said, and his tone was sincere. He was frankly impressed by her skill. There was also something else. He could see it as she threw the kunai. A kind of haunted look in her eyes indicating that this girl had seen much. Too much.

"Really?" she said in a hopeful voice. Ever since she had seen the ninja in Konoha Yahizui wanted to become like them. She wanted to be strong, she wanted to never be powerless again. And now that someone acknowledged that, especially someone as talented as Itachi was, Yahizui was full of hope.

"Yes, you have potential to be a good shinobi. Your aim is that of a natural, you just need to train. Of course, your guardian will first have to talk to the Hokage and see if he allows it, and then you have to register at the academy."

The last of his sentence had barely registered with Yahizui. She was giddy with joy, and by the time the boy ended his sentence, Yahizui was already beginning to sprint home, yelling a thanks and a "See you next time, Itachi!" over her shoulder.

Left alone to talk Itachi frowned a bit. He was definitely not accustomed to being ignored. So he allowed himself this slight respite in his usually calm facade. After all, there was no one here to see it.

Itachi

Once the girl departed, Itachi started to gather his gear. He took each and every kunai and shuriken out methodically, arranging them in his pouch. It was something that was already in his habit, like many other things that as his clan said would later be useful in his career as an elite shinobi. Ah, his career, thought the young boy grimly. All he would have wanted out of this world was a peaceful life, to spend time with his brother, maybe even to have a few friends by his side. A world with no fighting, where he would not be forced to learn how to kill, and where others would not die in masses. But as things were, he was born a genius of the ninja world, and it all came to him so naturally. In his mind Itachi found it ironic that someone with such talent for killing like himself wanted nothing to do with it. But then again, life is not always what you want, and Itachi was learning day by day that his life was not his own. It belonged to the Uchiha, it belonged to Konoha.

Those were the last troubling thoughts the boy had for the day, and as ke picked up his final kunai and headed toward the Uchiha district, Itachi smiled faintly at the look his younger brother will surely have when he will reach home; how his eyes would sparkle and a smile as bright as day would appear on his face. Who knows, maybe today his father would let him play with Sasuke. And so with a last glance at the training ground, Itachi spared the day one last thought. "What is her name?"

It took little time for him to reach home. He was eager for some peace, and hoped with all his small heart that his father was still at work. "I'm home!" he shouted from the doorway, leaving his shoes on the front porch.

"Welcome home!" shouted back his mother, Mikoto from the kitchen.

As he entered the kitchen, he saw his mother busying to make lunch and realized once more how with each passing day she lost more of her fighting, shining spirit. He knew that his mother had been a formidable jounin before she married his father, but she became a housewife afterwards. However until recently Mikoto had kept some of the fighting spirit that she had gained as a shinobi. That is, until Itachi began his official training. He had happened to overhear the discussion between some clan elders and his parents one night. It was about him, his talents and his role of further bettering the clan. They wanted to push him to evolve and to those means his parents were ordered to start officially training their son. He heard his father's grim affirmative answer and his mother's insistent retort. However, as Itachi was soon to find out, his mother's voice was silenced and Itachi began his training at home at the age of 3. Chakra manipulation skills as well as taijutsu and throwing skills were taught to him by his parents each and every day, and by the time Itachi reached academy age he knew more than any child in his class ever dreamed to.

Now his mother was calm, listening to all that his father had to say. He still thought that she loved him, but he knew she had given up fighting the clan for him. At least, Itachi thought, she should fight for Sasuke.

"Itachi, your father should come home any minute now. Go get Sasuke from upstairs for lunch, and make sure he washes his hands!" she said over her shoulder, busy with preparing the meal.

"Yes, Okaa-san." said Itachi as he headed toward the upstairs bedrooms. As he reached the second door to the right, he opened the traditional shoji door to reveal a small boy sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by various toys.

The little boy's eyes brightened as soon as Itachi entered the room, a face splitting smile appearing on his face. Suddenly, all of Itachi's somber thoughts from earlier that day dissipated and he smiled pleasantly at his little brother.

"Nii-san! You're home! Can we play? Can we?" were the happy words coming out of the toddler's excited lips.

"Aa, sure Sasuke." Itachi's words were simpler, but his tone was certainly a happy one. "But first Okaa-san wants us to go down for lunch. So come, let's wash up." he motioned the boy to come toward him, and as Sasuke sprinted as fast as his short legs would allow him, he was stopped by a poke in the forehead.

"Owww!" in truth it did not hurt much, but the gesture had always irked Sasuke. "Nii-san, what was that for?"

"Nothing," said Itachi with playfulness in his tone. "Have you been good today and listened to Okaa-san?"

"Yes!" responded the two year old dutifully. "Of course I did Nii-san. You said that if I don't I will never be as good as you are." continued Sasuke with a pout.

Honestly, thought Itachi, even if Sasuke were to be a menace, with such a cute look he could get away with almost anything.

Yahizui

As soon as Yahizui reached Riruka, her enthusiasm had transformed into determination. It was on the way that she recalled that Riruka was a peaceful person, and did not like violence. And even if she spoke with respect of the ninja in the village, she had said many times before that the world would have been a much more better place without shinobi in it to cause such bloodshed. And even though Yahizui was young and with little to no experience of real life to guide her judgment, she disagreed. In the little oasis of life that was her village there had been no shinobi and there was peace at all times. Yet they died a death so violent there were no words to describe it, and their screams still hunted her at night. So no, shinobi were not the cause of death. Where there was death, there will always be death, and that was that.

So it was with a resolve of steel that Yahizui entered her new home in search of her guardian. "Riruka-sama! I need to talk to you!"

"Well, welcome home to you too Yahizui-chan! Come, lunch is ready." said the woman in a kind voice.

At the sound of lunch Yahizui's resolve flattered a little and her stomach grumbled at the delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Ah, surely becoming a ninja could wait until she finished eating...

"So," started Riruka as she prepared to clean the dishes. She saw Yahizui out of the corner of her eye get up as well and grab a clean towel to help. "What did you want to talk? It sounded urgent."

"I want to become a ninja."

"Ah..." a sad look entered the older woman's eyes. "Tell me Yahizui-chan, why do you want to do that?"

The question took the little girl by surprise. Why did she? Because it was cool? No... she knew that wasn't that, and there was no reason to lie to the woman that had now become her second family. So she thought of her feelings, her true feelings, not masked by forgetfulness and smiles. She saw flashes of blood and heard the screams of her people ringing in her ears. "Riruka-sama, the day my family died, the day my village was destroyed, all I could do was sit there like a scared little bug. I was, and still am a scared little bug when facing that monster in my nightmares. But I hate it, and I hate myself for being so scared, so helpless. I don't want to be like that anymore! I want to grow strong, to face my fear! My papa gave his life for me," she said, tears now flowing freely on her cheeks, "he gave his life so that I could live, and I will not waste his gift! I will get strong, and be able to protect others! I want to be able to protect myself!"

Riruka looked at the girl, her chin trembling with the force it took to keep her from crying. She looked and thought that this wisp of a child had no idea how strong she was already. One like her was sure to survive this cruel world. "Fine. I do not approve of this, but you have my blessing. But keep in mind that there is one more that you need to convince. So when you are ready we can go see if we can score an audience with the Hokage, shall we?"

Upon hearing Riruka's words, Yahizui slowly wiped the tears from her eyes, and like the sun coming out after a storm, her face slowly but surely illuminated. As Yahizui slowly registered the words her guardian was saying, hope filled and the pain of her loss went dormant deep inside. "But, Riruka-sama, What is a Hokage?"

"Oh why the Hokage is the leader of the village," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The Hokage is the strongest, most noble shinobi of them all, and they are chosen to protect the village."

To Yahizui it seemed like this Hokage person was as important as the elders in her village. Well, of course, comparing the leader of a shinobi nation with the leaders of her village was like comparing a house cat with a lion, but it helped he correlate. So with a nod Yahizui decided that once she finished helping Riruka clear the table, they would head to see this most important shinobi.

As she watched her guardian work in washing the dishes, Yahizui was once more amazed at how much water the people of this land wasted. There was more than one occasion when she wanted to shout at people throwing water away, but thankfully she held back. In the end, what was she to do? Here water was bountiful, and people knew not, and had no need to worry of any water shortages. Here water was no treasure, it was a commodity, and it would be stupid for her not to adapt. But even so, every time water was wasted Yahizui felt bad. It would take time for the habits ingrained in her very genes to rub off, but she tried.

So with a relieved sight, Yahizui dried the last plate and headed to her tiny room. She was going to see the leader of the village, she had to be at least a bit presentable.

Before she knew it they were out of the house and going toward the center of the village. The Hokage Tower. It was for sure the tallest building in Konoha, painted red, and with the symbol of Fire proudly sitting on the middle tower. Yahizui had seen it many times before in her explorations of the hidden village, but it was only now that she knew it's significance, and so it's imposing structure seemed to grow larger in her young eyes.

Upon reaching the front desk they were greeted by a young ninja that kindly informed them to sit in the waiting room while he saw if the Hokage was available. Before they had time to get properly bored, the young man from the reception returned and motioned them inside through a large door.

The room they entered was large, filled with books as scrolls from floor to ceiling. The only other furniture in the room was an imposing office, filled with opened scrolls and stacks of books. And sitting behind the office was what Yahizui could deduce, the Hokage. If she were to be honest, she was not overly impressed. The man was old, which she could see why he is considered wise. After all, from what she knew old people were always wise, it came with being old. But as for the strongest ninja in the village, she was not so convinced. He looked like he should retire and play with his grandchildren, not fight.

"Hokage-sama," spoke Riruka and took a respectful bow, "I have come here with my protegee Yahizui. She is a child upon much misfortune has befallen, and I have rescued her from the desert." She spoke clear, sure of her words in a way that Yahizui had never seen before.

"I see." was all the old man supplied. "And why was this child not taken to Suna? She belongs to Suna, does she not? We might be allies, but bringing a Suna citizen into Konoha, no matter their misfortune is not a wise thing."

Now that Yahizui looked closer, the frail old man before her seemed not so frail anymore. She could not explain it, but what felt like a cloak of power was surrounding him, making him seem taller, stronger. Now she definitely knew that despite all appearances, this frail old man was still powerful, and dangerous.

But what he was saying was wrong, and before Riruka had any chance to speak back, Yahizui stepped from behind her guardian's skirt and looked the mighty Hokage straight in the face. "Hokage-sama," she said, imitating Riruka's earlier gesture of respect. "I am not of Suna, and my village was never of Suna. We had none to do with them, and they knew not of us. We were in the deep desert where we had been living and traveling for generations. No Suna man or woman goes that deep into the desert. They know not how to handle it's wilderness." It was true that her village was so far away from civilization that not even the Suna ninja's bothered to scout those areas. The road to Suna did not linger much in the desert, and the city was built on a oasis, so even though the Suna ninja were accustomed to lack of water and harsh conditions, it was no comparison to how her village was.

Now that she spoke out loud, the Hokage's attention zeroed unto her small form. " Is that so? Child, come closer so I can take a look at you."

She did, and now that she saw him closer, Yahizui saw that the man had kind, patient eyes. It put her at ease.

"Tell me child, what is your name? Who are you?" He asked, watching her curiously.

"I..." Should she say her name? Yahizui's desire to have a life in this new land once more conflicted with the careful teachings of her people. But then, in a flash of pain she remembered that her people were gone, her family was gone and Konoha was now her new home. The Konoha people were to be her people. And so, with renewed confidence, she spoke. "I come from the deep desert, sir. My people are desert people, peaceful people. We like to keep out of other people's business, and other people to keep out of ours. I was born on the winter solstice, in the night without moon four years ago, and named Yahizui by my mother Amaya and my father Saito." her voice wavered a bit as flashed of her parent's beloved faces came to her. But she had to go on. She had to tell her story to this man, convince him that she wanted to be here and that she deserved to become a shinobi. "We had lived in peace, as our people had lived for centuries, until the desert god brought misery upon us, trampling all in his wake. My father had been skilled in the arts of the shinobi and sent me far away into the desert before his life had vanished as well. And so I was found by my guardian Riruka, and brought here."

She stopped, swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat, took a deep breath and said the ritual words she had once learned from the elders. "I entrust my name, my identity, and the identity of my parents to you and to this village. May you guard it with care."

"You may rise you head, Shourai Yahizui. And be without fear, Konoha will keep your name." said the Hokage with a smile before taking a far away look, as if lost in thought. "I have heard legends of the people living in the deep desert, but the people of Suna are secretive, and would not confirm any of them. Fascinating indeed. Now tell me, Yahizui do you know where your father came from?"

The question struck Yahizui as odd. Her father came from her village! But she remembered how he spoke of far away lands, so he must have not been from the desert. The people of her village were usually reluctant to leave their environment. "No sir. He spoke to me once that he had left behind the life of a shinobi for my mother's love, but he did not speak of any other thing."

"I see... and your red hair, does it come from your mother, or father?" He was inquisitive for an old man, but to Yahizui his questions did not mean much. She had no reason to keep such strange details to herself, so she answered with the innocence specific to her age.

"My father sir, he had flaming red hair, and eyes dark purple-ish eyes. But the green of my eyes were given by my mother, may the sand rest her soul."

The old man looked at her red hair, nodding thoughtfully at the words the little girl had uttered. "Very well," he said after a few seconds. "I don't consider you a threat to the village, and if you are serious about devoting your life to Konoha, then you may join the preparatory years for the academy. Since you have no ninja training, you need them." He saw her nod excitedly. Did she even know what she was getting herself into? "But remember this Yahizui, once you are a shinobi of Konoha, you live for Konoha, you serve Konoha, and if the time comes, you die for Konoha." the words were grim, he knew. They were not usually words said to potential recruits. They usually waited until the children were ready to have their eyes opened. But while the girl had been talking Sarutobi Hiruzen saw that this little girl's eyes had been opened in the most gruesome of ways. He grieved silently for her lost innocence, but such was the world of shinobi.

Upon hearing the Hokage's words, Yahizui was beyond herself with excitement. She turned toward her guardian with a sunshine smile and hopped over to her side. "Did you hear that Riruka-sama? Did you hear that? I can become a ninja!"

But unseen to Yahizui due to all the excitement was that Riruka's smile was sad as she hugged her, and that the Hokage looked at her a little too attentive.

* * *

**I hope you guys like the chapter! **

**Reviews are highly appreciated as I would love to hear your opinion.**

**I can't promise that my updates will be short, or regular. I often write and re-write before I reach a form that pleases me, so it takes time. **

**Also if you would like, there are pictures and even a song made for Yahizui on my profile, so go check them out! **

Until next time!


End file.
